The ACC Women’s Tournament Play by Play: Day 1

A diary of the sights and sounds of the Women's Tournament in Greensboro.

The ACC

It’s my third year coming down to Greensboro, North Carolina for the women’s basketball tournament.  Coming down south in early March usually means I get to see the forsythia popping and the daffodils in full bloom.  Today?  I’m right in the middle of a tornado watch and very happy that I made the decision to come down yesterday.  (The last two years I have departed on Wednesday at 5:00 am.  Six and a half drive on top of three games and two columns?  This is much better.)

On Tuesday the ACC released the All-ACC teams and Virginia’s Kymora Johnson was first team.  The award is recognition for a fine season, but Holy Grade Inflation, Batman!  The first team consists of 15 players, and the second team has 10!  There’s only five players on the court at a time, but ….

It is no surprise that Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo was player of the year and her teammates Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron were the third and sixth-highest vote getters respectively.  Miles and Hidalgo have gotten all the press thus far, but if Notre Dame wins the ACC Tournament, it will be because of Sonia Citron.

We will see all 37 players honored this year save two, Miami’s Haley Cavinder and SMU’s Nya Robertson.  It’s a pity.  Cavinder is a baller and for just about the only time in my life, I was rooting for Miami to claw their way into 15th and send Pitt packing.

There are three games on tap today, with the first one pitting Boston College, my favorite ACC team to watch, vs Syracuse.

Kudos to the ACC for finally giving the first-day participants the same treatment as other teams.  During player introductions they brought out the fire and smoke machines, which has normally been a Day 2 thing.  It’s all very biblical, a column of fire and a pillar of smoke, but it’s a lot fun.

Val Prochaska

1:00pm Syracuse v Boston College

Well, the Boston College band gets us off to a bad start as their first song is Sweet Caroline, AKA the UNC theme song.  What?  They didn’t know another Neil Diamond song they could play?  BC has been in the ACC for nigh on 20 years.  You think they’d know better.

Their intro vid isn’t particularly appealing.   I like vids that show some of the local landscape and Boston is one of America’s great cities, so a vid without Boston seems lame to me.  The Syracuse video is ok, but it starts out with a quote by head coach Felisha Legette-Jack that is kind of muddied in a coliseum setting.  Syracuse traveled without cheerleaders.  I’m no fan of cheerleaders in general, but to not bring them along?  It’s like Syracuse doesn’t think they belong.  Advantage Boston College.

First Quarter

9:26  BC’s Dontavia Waggoner is my favorite player ACC player to watch.  In the first 34 seconds she has a rebound, a deflection, and she catches up with the ballhandler on a Syracuse break and from behind knocks the ball out of bounds.

4:30  Syracuse’s Kyra Wood is off to a blistering start.  She’s 4/4 from the field and it’s Syracuse 12 – 4 at the media timeout.

4:26 Syracuse’s Georgia Wooley hits a three coming out of time out.  Syracuse up 15 – 4.  BC’s head coach immediately calls timeout.

Second Quarter  --  Syracuse up 27 – 14

These two teams played each other twice in the regular season.  Back in January, BC put a 92 – 51 whupping on the Orange, but just three days ago, Syracuse won 82 – 57.  It’s looking a lot more like the second game than the first.

6:48  BC’s Teya Sidberry hits the deck loudly.  This is the third ACC tournament in a row that she’s hit with particular volume.  She seems ok.

6:18 BC’s T’yana Todd hits her first bucket.  Syracuse up 34 – 20.  If BC is going to come back, Todd is going to be the reason.

4:48 36 – 20 Syracuse.  Waggoner is 3/8 and Sidberry is 3/9.  Both teams have five offensive rebounds, but only Syracuse has turned them into points, 10 in the Orange’s favor.

4:01  Boston College goes to full court pressure.  There is no player more disruptive in the open court than Dontavia Waggoner; she’s the best free safety in the ACC.  This is going to be fun.

1:51  The full court press is working and Syracuse has tossed up three poor shots.  They’ve grabbed three offensive rebounds and turned them into five points, which offsets a pair of nice Waggoner drives.  Syracuse comfortably in control, 43 – 26.

Third Quarter – 45 – 28 Syracuse

10:00 Speaking of grade inflation…  BC’s Athena Tomlinson is listed at 5’ 5”.  No way!  I doubt she’s over 5’ 0”.

9:46 Syracuse’s Saniaa Wilson is called for hooking.  It was a much-needed call as Sidberry, standing at just 6’ 0” is too undersized to man the 5.

8:15  BC is still pressing.  JaKayla Thompson with the And-1.  Syracuse still up 45 – 33.

4:22 Syracuse’s Sophie Burrows, my vote for most improved player of the year, has scored seven straight for the Orange.  But Sidberry and Waggoner have each scored four and BC is closing, Syracuse up 52 – 46.

3:35 The Orange are tiring from BC’s full-court pressure.  BC has grabbed four offensive boards, gone 4/4 from the line and Syracuse just had a 5-second violation.  Syracuse up 52 – 50.

3:06  Heat check.  Burrows with a three.  She has 10 points this quarter.

0:56  Boston College knows how to play 2-for-1 in the waning seconds of the quarter.  This is much-documented (by me, at least) shortcoming amongst college athletes.  T’yana Todd, who has sat for nine minutes of the third quarter, hits at the buzzer.  BC within four, 60 – 56.

Fourth Quarter

8:29 Andrea Daley goes coast-to-coast for BC.  60 – 58.

8:05  Sidberry’s jump hook knots it up at 60 – 60.

6:25  It’s getting sloppy.  Five straight trips down the floor for the two teams yields five turnovers.

5:50  Both Syracuse and BC, on subsequent trips, try to coast-coast for the fast break.  Both result in misses.  The first team that collectively slows down is going to win this one.

During a timeout, there’s T-shirts being tossed into the crowd.  The guys doing the tossing are phoning it in.  There are five people in the front row courtside, right in front of me.  Four of them have been handed t-shirts.

5:16 BC is losing composure.  Coming out of timeout, they turn the ball over on the in-bounds.  Then two defenders converge on Dominique Camp leaving Sophie Burrows the widest lane she’s run through.  Syracuse up 66 – 60.

5:02

MY GOODNESSS 😳

📺 @BC_WBB x @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/0P4mTjk3hM

— ACC Women's Basketball (@accwbb) March 5, 2025

4:47  Georgia Wooley has gone 4/4 from the line in the last forty seconds.  If this game turns into a free throw shooting contest, my money will be on Wooley.  She’s automatic.

2:42  Oh, what the heck.  I could just skip writing this and just make a Dontavia Waggoner highlight clip:  Waggoner steal and coast-to-coast slalom brings BC to within two, 72 – 70.  Her first mistake of the game?  She misses the And-1.

0:22  74 – 73 Boston College for their first lead of the game.  During timeout, the BC band finally plays Fly Like an Eagle.  I’ve wondered when they were going to play it.  Now seems appropriate.

It’s going to fall to Sophie Burrows to get the win for Syracuse.  She’s got 23 points on 9/14 shooting (3/6 from deep.)  Burrows drives left, spins right but cannot shake Waggoner and has to pass the ball off to Kyra Wood.  Wood’s had a nice game but can’t convert.  BC prevails 76 – 73.

Waggoner lead the way with 32 points and she grabbed nine rebounds for only the fourth 30-point game in the ACC this year without a single three.  BC’s 19-point comeback is the third largest in ACC tournament history.

I spoke with the BC band director.  Turns out he’s not with Boston College.  This is a high school band.  I suggested he NOT play Sweet Caroline any more, certainly not tomorrow since it is UNC that awaits Boston College in the second round.

3:30pm – Game Two:  Virginia vs Pittsburgh

The Pitt introductory vid does have an aerial shot of Pittsburgh, but it’s only on screen for the briefest of moments.  The vid is pretty bland, plus it omits the Cathedral of Learning, which for my money, is the coolest on-campus space this side of the Lawn.  Virginia’s video is much better and the graphics are ablaze with flame, especially apropos given the fire machine.  But Virginia once again commits the cardinal sin of having highlights from last year featuring Cam Taylor and Jillian Brown.  They’ve had all season to make video for this very purpose.  And since I just mentioned Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning, the Lawn is equally absent in Virginia’s offering.  Advantage Pitt.

1st Quarter

9:02  Pitt goes down low on their first two possessions to Khadija Faye, their best player.  UVa’s Latasha Lattimore stands her up and she comes away empty-handed.

5:21 Pitt up 12 – 5 on the strength of three Makayla Elmore threes.  She’s shooting 28% from deep on the year.

1:52  Paris Clark drains a three and converts on the break to knot the score at 12 – 12.  Sitting courtside I can see one reason why Virginia isn’t as good on the break as you would think, given that Kymora Johnson is running the show.  Virginia players out ahead of the ball aren’t looking for the ball; they are running eyes forward.  Maybe Johnson is ready to get the ball out of her hands and out in the wings.  Who knows?  Her teammates aren’t looking.

Second Quarter

10:00 During the timeout as the Pitt cheerleaders are on the floor, one of the guys tries to lift one of the cheerleaders.  He gets her half-way and then falters.  That is one brave Pitt cheerleader; she let him try three times.  I would think once would have been enough.

9:20  Lattimore blocks Faye down low.  Faye is off to an 0/7 start.  She’s has to start scoring for Pitt or this game is going to get out of hand.  Pitt is down 16 – 12 and Elmore has already hit her allotment of threes.  She ain’t going to be making any more.

7:39 Pitt’s Audrey Biggs makes a layup ending a 19 – 0 Virginia run.  UVa up 24 – 12.

1:29  Pitt’s Marley Washenitz has canned two three-pointers in a row then she’s fouled by Olivia McGhee on a three.  This is the fifth time in three games that Virginia has fouled a three-point shooter.  It’s now officially a problem.  She converts two of three free throws.  Nice little offensive explosion from Washenitz, but Pitt will still be trailing 26 – 22 entering the second half.  Faye is still registering a goose egg for the half.

0:00  Bad omen for Pitt.  One of the cheerleaders left her pom poms on the court at the half.  I’ve often marveled at just how possessive cheerleaders are of their pom poms, like it’s their horcrux.  I can leave my phone and computer at the media desk and nothing with happen to them.  But a pom pom?

Val Prochaska

I’m pretty confident that Virginia has this one in the bag.

Third Quarter

7:18  Khadija Faye scores her first points of the night, a pair of free throws, but Virginia scored the first six points of the half, and Pitt is falling further behind.

6:47  Paris Clark hits from three as the 30-second buzzer is sounding.  She jumped before she caught the ball so she could get rid of it in times.  Clark’s been practicing this; she converted a three like this against UNC.  Virginia up 35 – 24.

5:24  Johnson is called for a crap travel.  There is a problem with how women are officiated vis a vis the men and it starts with the first step.  Yeah, this was probably a travel in that she took her first step before dribbling the ball, but the men do it all the time.  Only they are more explosive so they get away with it. I don’t think the women should be punished.  I’m going to keep count.  That’s three of these travels called in the first game and a half. 

4:38 Olivia McGhee goes down scrambling for a loose ball.  She writhes in pain for two minutes.  She’s not coming back.

1:22 Clark hits her second three of the quarter.  Mo Johnson follows it with one of her own.  Virginia up 48 – 34.

Fourth Quarter

9:14  Clark dribbles the ball off her foot out of bounds.  This is the fourth time she’s done that over the last two games.  Is this becoming a problem?

8:38  Lattimore goes right at Faye, who has four fouls and can’t really challenge Lattimore.  Virginia up 50 – 36.

6:57  Now Lattimore is going at Elmore.  Virginia 56 – 38.

6:04  Not to be outdone, and even though she’s having a disappointing night (she will go on to shoot 3/19 from the floor,) Faye fouls out Edessa Noyan.  Taylor Lauterbach could see this coming because she’s been on the bike loosening up since the middle of the third quarter.

1:40  Lauterbach has a nice spin and reverse for the bucket.  This is more mobility than she usually shows.

Virginia wins 64 – 50.  For each of the past three seasons, Virginia has fallen to Wake Forest on the first day of the tournament.  Maybe now the Wake Forest Curse is lifted (though it helps that Wake didn’t qualify for the tournament.)  Virginia had a comfortable win despite an abysmal night at the line (5/13.)  Virginia has now won five of six and heads off to a rematch with Cal, who beat the Hoos two weeks.

Read Matt's five takeaways from Virginia's win over Pitt here: UVA Women's Basketball Suffocates Pitt 64-50 in ACC Tournament First Round

7:30pm --  Game Three: Clemson vs Stanford

I coach.  Middle school girls soccer, but as I, and every coach out there will tell you, players never talk enough on the court, on the pitch, whatever the level.  Watching Clemson’s warm-ups, I am really impressed as these women are talking through every movement, every cut.  It gives credence to the practice-the-way-you-play adage.  Big, big plus for Clemson.

As for the Stanford band, they are bringing an old-school Pep Band vibe: everybody wearing vests adorned with buttons and fishing hats decked out in same.  Advantage Stanford.

First Quarter

10:00  Out of the jump ball, both teams end up on a scrum for a held ball.  Good sign for the energy level of this game.  These women, of course, are just getting started, but for the rest of us here, it’s been a long day.  The In-Arena Host (that’s her official title,) has traded in her spiked heels for tennis shoes.)

8:38 Elena Bosgana layup with three seconds left in the shot clock. Clemson will take 28 seconds before getting their shot up.  Both teams are dialed in defensively from the start.  Stanford up 2 – 0.

4:05 Now all five people in the courtside front row have t-shirts.

2:56  Stanford 8, Loyal McQueen 6.

1:07  Stanford’s Chloe Clardy has a very smooth first step.  With the ball in her right hand she goes left and gets to the rim.  Which she does repeatedly, except that her shot is failing her.  She’s 0/3 on a trio of beautiful drives, but she has gone 4/4 from the foul line.  At the end of the quarter it will be Clemson up 11 – 10.

Second Quarter

The teams are a combined 8/27 and 0/5 from deep.  Maybe there’s a reason both these teams are playing on Wednesday. 

The Clemson band has shot it’s wad playing the all-too-predictable Eye of the Tiger.  Was this too soon?

7:47 Seems to have worked.  Raven Thompson hits a nice turnaround jumper.  Clemson is on a 13 – 4 run and is up 17 – 12.  More worryingly for Stanford, second team All-ACC Nunu Agara has played only a minute.  She’s coming back from injury apparently and is getting back up to game shape.  Chloe Cardy is now 0/5 and the Cardinal need Agara.

3:50 Raven Thompson (she looks shorter than 5’ 10”) grabs the offensive board and finishes.  She has six points and the score is 21 – 12.  This game is getting away from Stanford.  The guy doing radio for Stanford in the seat behind me is getting a little more agitated.

1:23  Courtney Ogden with a nice drive to the rim and it breaks a 10 – 0 Clemson run, but the Tigers head into halftime with a 27 – 16 lead.

Halftime

Apparently slapping your logo on the tournament bracket in the early rounds is not a thing.  I’m walking by the lobby and a staffer is putting on the logos and I ask him if I can take his picture while he’s doing so and he asks why not me?  Pretty cool.

Val Prochaska

Third Quarter

8:28  Chloe Clardy with a three for her first bucket of the game.  With Nagara effectively out of this matchup, it’s going to be Cardy who has to get Stanford back into this game.

5:46 It’s finally heating up:  Clemson’s Mia Moore and Stanford’s Ogden trade threes and it’s Clemson 34 – 24.

5:05  Stanford’s Tess Heal takes advantage of a beautiful double-screen for a three.  34 – 27.

2:34  It’s raining threes in Greensboro.  Clemson makes four straight threes to break open the game and it’s 46 – 27.  After going 0/5 from beyond the arc in the first half, Clemson is 5/7 this quarter.  A good team would struggle to overcome that kind of shooting, and Stanford isn’t.  This game is over.

1:10  Don’t tell Raven Thompson the ball game is over.  She’s fighting harder than anyone else on the court today, forcing a held ball that she had no business getting to in the first place.  A two-year starter at Chattanooga, she moved up to the big leagues for moments like this.  She’s been the spark for Clemson all game long.

Fourth Quarter

2:02  Agara scores easily in transition, making a difficult angle look easy.  She has scored six points in a row and it’s easy to see what Stanford lost on this night with her not 100%.

1:15  Both coaches empty their benches.  We have the first upset of the tournament as Clemson advances 63 – 46.

Midnight

I stand corrected.

STAMPED 😈#GoHoos 🔸⚔️🔹#GNSL pic.twitter.com/mTqPABStBG

— Virginia Women's Basketball (@UVAWomensHoops) March 5, 2025

Four games on tap for Thursday.

Boston College takes on UNC.

Virginia Tech vs Georgia Tech.

Virginia vs Cal.

Clemson vs Louisville.